Israel National News  |  July 31, 2016

'Black Lives Matter' Movement Arrives In Israel

Delegation from radical organization visits Jewish state, joins in protests against Israeli 'genocide', condemns 'Zionist vigilantes'.

By David Rosenberg

Black Lives Matter protesters in Israel. (Facebook/screenshot)

A delegation from the radical “Black Lives Matter” movement arrived in Israel last week to promote what the group called “the fight for dignity, justice and freedom”.

Founded with the aim of raising awareness about fatalities among African Americans resulting from encounters with law enforcement officers, the Black Lives Matter movement has argued that American law enforcement agencies are explicitly “hunting down” young black males.

During the trip to Israel, the BLM delegation participated in a raucous anti-Israel protest in the Samarian village of Bilin, near Modi’in Illit. Two Arab protesters were taken into custody during the event, the Bethlehem-based Ma’an reported.

The BLM delegation in Israel highlighted the movement’s international goals, expressing its opposition to what it described as the “genocide” of Palestinian Arabs at the hands of “Zionist vigilantes”, as well as capitalism, and the “occupation” of Palestine.

“In the fight for dignity, justice and freedom,” the BLM movement stated in a Facebook post last Friday, “the Movement for Black Lives is committed to the global shared struggle of oppressed people, namely the people of occupied Palestine and other indigenous communities who for decades have resisted the occupation of their land, the ethnic cleansing of their people, and the erasure of their history and experiences.”

“In this violent, political climate, it is urgent that we make clear the connection between violence inflicted on Black people globally that is encouraged and permitted by the state and the profiling, harm, and genocide funded by the United States and perpetrated by Zionists vigilantes and the Israeli Defense Forces on Palestinian people. Our collective oppression mandates that we work together across geography, language and culture to decry and organize an end to capitalistic, imperialist regimes.”

BLM also expressed its support for the anti-Israel BDS movement, aimed at isolating Israel diplomatically, economically, academically, and culturally.

“We commit to global struggle, solidarity, and support of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement to fight for freedom, justice and equality for Palestinian people and to end international support of the occupation.”?

Original article here.